• Journal of Oriental Neuropsychiatry
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.185-199
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• 2011

In the present study, we assessed the effect of the PPA (Polygala japonica Houtt., Polygala tenuifolia WILLD. and Acorus gramineus SOLAND. mixed preparation), a traditional herbal prescription, on the learning and memory impairments induced by scopolamine. The cognition-enhancing effect of PPA was investigated using a passive avoidance test, Y-maze test and the Morris water maze test in mice. Drug-induced amnesia was induced by treating animals with scopolamine (1 mg/kg, i.p.). A single PPA (400 and 800 (mg/kg)) administration significantly reversed the scopolamine-induced cognitive impairments in the passive avoidance test (P<0.05). On the Y-maze test, PPA (400 and 800 (mg/kg)) also significantly reversed scopolamine-induced cognitive impairments in mice (P<0.05). PPA also improved escape latencies in training trials and increased swimming times and distances within the target zone of the Morris water maze (P<0.05). These results suggest that PPA attenuates amnesic state induced by scopolamine and that these Effect are mediated by enhancing the cholinergic dysfunction.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.198-202
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• 2009

Based on the use of Acorus gramineus SOLAND (AG) for the treatment of stroke in traditional Korean medicine, the present study was carried out to evaluate neuroprotective effects of ${\alpha}$-asarone after transient global cerebral ischemia using rat 4-vessel occlusion (4VO) model in rats. ${\alpha}$-Asarone (5 mg/kg) administered intraperitoneally significantly protected CA1 neurons against 10 min transient forebrain ischemia as demonstrated by measuring the density of neuronal cells stained with Cresyl violet. ${\alpha}$-Asarone significantly reduced hippocampal neuronal cell death by 85.2% where as its isolated single compounds from AG compared with a vehicle-treated group.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.317-321
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• 2014

Amyloid-${\beta}$ protein ($A{\beta}$) is a pathological component of Alzheimer's disease (AD) by participating in the senile plaque formation in the patient's brain. Although the exact mechanism of $A{\beta}$ toxicity is not fully elucidated, it is considered to be closely related to its fibrillation process. For prevention of AD, recent studies have suggested various small molecules which inhibit $A{\beta}$ fibrillation. In this report, ${\beta}$-asarone found in acorus plant has been investigated as an anti-amyloid molecule. ${\beta}$-Asarone was demonstrated to prevent in vitro fibrillation of $A{\beta}$ by inducing the oligomer formation that obviously decreased cytotoxicity. Therefore, ${\beta}$-asarone could be suggested as an inhibitory agent of $A{\beta}$ fibrillation and toxicity, which would help us not only to understand underlying principle of amyloidogenesis mechanism but also to develop a controlling strategy toward AD.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.36-51
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• 2014

Objectives: cDNA microarray is an effective method to snapshot gene expression. Functional clustering of gene expressions can identify herbal medicine mechanisms. Much microarray data is available for various herbal medicines. This study compares regulated genes with herbal medicines to evaluate the nature of the drugs. Methods: Published microarray data were collected. Total RNAs were prepared from dissociated hippocampal dissociate cultures which were given hypoxic shock in the presence of each herbal medicine. Up- or downregulated genes higher than Global M value 0.5 were selected, clustered in functional groups, and compared with various herbal treatments. Results: 1. Akt2 was upregulated by Acorus gramineus SOLAND, Arisaema amurense var. serratum $N_{AKAI}$ and Coptis chinensis $F_{RANCH}$, and they belong to Araceae herb. 2. Nf-${\kappa}b1$, Cd5, $Gn{\gamma}7$ and Sgne1 were upregulated by Arisaema amurense var. serratum $N_{AKAI}$, Coptis chinensis $F_{RANCH}$ and Rheum coreanum $N_{AKAI}$. 3. Woohwangcheongsim-won, Sohaphyang-won and Scutellaria baicalensis $G_{EORGI}$ downregulated Scp2 and upregulated Tsc2. Woohwangcheongsim-won and Sohaphyang-won upregulated Hba1 and downregulated Myf6. 4. Sohaphyang-won and Scutellaria baicalensis $G_{EORGI}$ downregulated Slc12a1. 5. Woohwangcheongsim-won and Arisaema amurense var. serratum $N_{AKAI}$ upregulated $Rar{\alpha}$, Woohwangcheongsim-won and Coptis chinensis $F_{RANCH}$ downregulated Rab5a and $Pdgfr{\alpha}$, and Woohwangcheongsim-won and Rheum coreanum $N_{AKAI}$ upregulated $Plc{\gamma}1$ and downregulated Pla2g1b and Slc10a1. Conclusions: By clustering microarray, genes are commonly identified to be either up- or downregulated. These results will provide new information to understand the efficacy of herbal medicines and to classify them at the molecular level.

• Journal of Sasang Constitutional Medicine
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.208-217
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• 2013

Objectives Modified Yeolda-Hanso tang (MYH) is a traditional herbal formula in Korea for various diseases. MYH is containing the 10 herbs : Pueraria lobata (Willd.) Ohwi, Angelica tenuissima Nakai, Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi, Platycodon grandiflorum (Jacq), Angelicae Dahurica, Cimicifuga heracleifolia Kom, Raphanus sativa L., Polygala tenuifolia (Willd), Acorus gramineus Soland and Dimocarpus longan Lour. The 10 herbs is constituted as a ratio of the 6:4:2:1:2:2:2:4:6:6. We investigated neuroprotective effects of MYH on human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells and evaluated the ability of MYH to prevent and treat for neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's disease via basal autophagy enhancement. Methods Pharmacological induction of Autophagy by MYH in SH-SY5Y cells: Induction of autophagy by MYH in human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells was carreid out by immunoblot analysis with several autophagy markers. SH-SY5Y cells were treated with MYH at the concentration of 400 and $800{\mu}g/ml$ for 24 hr. Specifically, the autophagosome proteins LC3 II and Atg5 levels were increased and autophagy pathway related proteins such as beclin-1, PI3 Kinase class III protein, ULK1, mTOR and AMPK were activated. Conclusions MYH can enhance the induction of autophagy through key regulator AMPK, mTOR, and Beclin-1 and it should be considered as a possible candidate of neuroprotective agents for such as Parkinson's disease.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.20 no.7
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• pp.1054-1065
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• 2010

SH21B is a natural composition composed of seven herbs: Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi, Prunus armeniaca Maxim, Ephedra sinica Stapf, Acorus gramineus Soland, Typha orientalis Presl, Polygala tenuifolia Willd and Nelumbo nucifera Gaertner (Ratio 3:3:3:3:3:2:2). In our previous study, we reported that SH21B inhibited adipogenesis and fat accumulation in 3T3-L1 cells through modulation of various regulators in the adipogenesis pathway. The aim of this study was to analyze the transcriptome profiles for the anti-adipogenic effects of SH21B in 3T3-L1 cells. Total RNAs from SH21B-treated 3T3-L1 cells were reverse-transcribed into cDNAs and hybridized to Affymetrix Mouse Gene 1.0 ST array. From microarray analyses, we identified 2,568 genes of which expressions were changed more than two-fold by SH21B, and the clustering analyses of these genes resulted in 9 clusters. Three clusters among the 9 showed down-regulation by SH21B (cluster 4, cluster 6 and cluster 9), and two clusters showed up-regulation by SH21B (cluster 7 and cluster 8) during the adipogenesis of 3T3-L1 cells. It was found that many genes related to cell proliferation and adipogenesis were included in these clusters. Clusters 4, 6 and 9 included genes which were related with adipogenesis induction and cell cycle arrest. Clusters 7 and 8 included genes related to cell proliferation as well as adipogenesis inhibition. These results suggest that the mechanisms of the anti-adipogenic effects of SH21B may be the modulation of genes involved in cell proliferation and adipogenesis.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.20 no.5
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• pp.729-735
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• 2010

In our previous study, it was reported that an herbal mixture, SH21B, inhibits fat accumulation and adipogenesis both in vitro and in vivo models of obesity. SH21B is a mixture composed of seven herbs: Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi, Prunus armeniaca Maxim, Ephedra sinica Stapf, Acorus gramineus Soland, Typha orientalis Presl, Polygala tenuifolia Willd, and Nelumbo nucifera Gaertner (Ratio 3:3:3:3:3:2:2). The aim of this study was to investigate the detailed molecular mechanisms of the effects of SH21B on various regulators of the adipogenesis pathway. During the adipogenesis of 3T3-L1 cells, SH21B significantly decreased the expression levels of central transcription factors of adipogenesis, such as peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR)$\gamma$ and CCAAT/enhancer binding protein (C/EBP)$\alpha$. To elucidate the detailed molecular mechanism of the anti-adipogenic effects of SH21B, we examined the expression levels of the various pro-adipogenic or anti-adipogenic regulators of adipogenesis upstream of $PPAR{\gamma}$ and C/$EBP{\alpha}$. The mRNA levels of Krox20 and Kruppel-like factor (KLF) 15, which are pro-adipogenic regulators, were significantly down-regulated by SH21B treatment, whereas the mRNA levels of C/$EBP{\gamma}$ and KLF5 were not changed. KLF2 and C/EBP homologous protein (CHOP), which are anti-adipogenic regulators, were significantly up-regulated by SH21B treatment. These results suggest that the molecular mechanism of the anti-adipogenic effect of SH21B involves both the down-regulations of pro-adipogenic regulators, such as Krox20 and KLF15, and the up-regulations of anti-adipogenic regulators, such as KLF2 and CHOP, which results in the suppression of central transcription factors of adipogenesis including $PPAR{\gamma}$ and C/$EBP{\alpha}$.